[Evidence-based Presentation] Background: In today's complexáhealth care organizations, conflicts between physicians and nurses occur daily. Researchers have identified collaboration as one of the intervening variables that may help explain the relationship between magnet hospitals and positive patients' outcomes and claim that conflict has a beneficial effect on work group function. Consequently, organizational conflict has grown into a major subfield of organizational behavior and health professionals face the challenges of developing skills in effectively handling conflicts and promoting inter-professional collaboration. Collaboration, according to the Thomas and Kilmann model of conflict resolution, involves a high level of concern for others (cooperativeness), as well as a high concern for self (assertiveness). Aim: Identify and compare conflict mode choices used by physicians and head nurses in acute care hospitals and examine relationship with background characteristics. Methods: Physicians (n=75) and head nurses (n=54) in 5 hospitals were surveyed, using the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Model Instrument. Results: No difference was found between physicians and head nurses in their choice of the most frequent mode used in conflict management. The compromising mode was found to be the significantly most commonly used mode (p=.00) by both. The collaborating mode was significantly more frequent in use among head nurses (p=.001)á and was found to be the least frequent mode used by physicians (p=.00). Most of the respondents' characteristics were not found correlated with choice of strategy, apart from ward size (p=.010) for physicians and tenure in position (p=.032) for head nurses. Conclusions: Physicians and head nurses tend to choose a conflict handling mode which is concerned a form of a Lose-Lose approach. Findings indicate a need to enhance partnerships in the clinical environment to ensure quality patient care and staff satisfaction. The responsibility falls on nurse managers to create a culture that values and rewards collegial nurse/physician relationships, based on equal power environment.

<table><tr><td colspan="2" class="item-title">Effective Conflict Management: One Key to Successful Collaborative Practice</td></tr><tr class="item-sponsor"><td class="label">Conference Sponsor:</td><td class="value">Sigma Theta Tau International</td></tr><tr class="item-year"><td class="label">Conference Year:</td><td class="value">2007</td></tr><tr class="item-author"><td class="label">Author:</td><td class="value">Hendel, Tova, RN, PhD</td></tr><tr class="item-institute"><td class="label">P.I. Institution Name:</td><td class="value">Tel Aviv University</td></tr><tr class="item-author-title"><td class="label">Title:</td><td class="value">Senior Teacher, Head Baccalaureate Program</td></tr><tr class="item-email"><td class="label">Email:</td><td class="value">tdhendel@zahav.net.il</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="item-abstract">[Evidence-based Presentation] Background: In today's complex&aacute;health care organizations, conflicts between physicians and nurses occur daily. Researchers have identified collaboration as one of the intervening variables that may help explain the relationship between magnet hospitals and positive patients' outcomes and claim that conflict has a beneficial effect on work group function. Consequently, organizational conflict has grown into a major subfield of organizational behavior and health professionals face the challenges of developing skills in effectively handling conflicts and promoting inter-professional collaboration. Collaboration, according to the Thomas and Kilmann model of conflict resolution, involves a high level of concern for others (cooperativeness), as well as a high concern for self (assertiveness). Aim: Identify and compare conflict mode choices used by physicians and head nurses in acute care hospitals and examine relationship with background characteristics. Methods: Physicians (n=75) and head nurses (n=54) in 5 hospitals were surveyed, using the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Model Instrument. Results: No difference was found between physicians and head nurses in their choice of the most frequent mode used in conflict management. The compromising mode was found to be the significantly most commonly used mode (p=.00) by both. The collaborating mode was significantly more frequent in use among head nurses (p=.001)&aacute; and was found to be the least frequent mode used by physicians (p=.00). Most of the respondents' characteristics were not found correlated with choice of strategy, apart from ward size (p=.010) for physicians and tenure in position (p=.032) for head nurses. Conclusions: Physicians and head nurses tend to choose a conflict handling mode which is concerned a form of a Lose-Lose approach. Findings indicate a need to enhance partnerships in the clinical environment to ensure quality patient care and staff satisfaction. The responsibility falls on nurse managers to create a culture that values and rewards collegial nurse/physician relationships, based on equal power environment.</td></tr></table>

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dc.date.available

2011-10-26T13:38:15Z

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dc.date.issued

2011-10-17

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dc.date.accessioned

2011-10-26T13:38:15Z

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dc.description.sponsorship

Sigma Theta Tau International

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